


Angel of Death

by magicianparrish



Series: Halloween PJO Challenge [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Nico is an Angel of Death, pjo halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 03:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5075650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicianparrish/pseuds/magicianparrish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico is an Angel of Death</p>
            </blockquote>





	Angel of Death

**Author's Note:**

> Here is day three! Nico is up. 
> 
> Context: Venice in 1348 when the height of the Black Death was occurring in what is Italy today. 
> 
> Just a disclaimer, I am not that religious but for the context of the story, almost everyone in Europe was highly religious. So I just thought it would make more sense to call Nico an Angel of Death and to make biblical references. 
> 
> And I’m sorry for what you’re about to read. It might get sad. 
> 
> Terms: 
> 
> Death- one of the four horsemen of the Biblical Apocalypse
> 
> Serf- a peasant who lives on a fief and serves a lord and works on the property of a lord
> 
> Book of Revelation- Part of the New Testament in the Bible, about the Biblical Apocalypse

**1348, Venice, Republic of Venice**

They called him the Angel of Death. He had come into existence, neither have been born or died. Collecting the souls of the dead to bring them to the afterlife they deserved. Calling him the Angel of Death is wrong. He is not Death. He is just a follower of Death. Him and others do the reaping of souls on Earth for Death. Death appeared to Egypt when he had killed all the firstborns who were not protected by the blood of the lamb. And he will appear once again when the Book of Revelation shall come to pass. For now though, Death itself is in heaven waiting for its calling.

Nico had never met Death before. He had heard that they were so beautiful, that even an angel like himself would have his eyes burned out. Twelve sets of pure black wings, so large they covered Egypt for three days before he came down to slaughter.

If Nico knew better, he would’ve thought the apocalypse was starting now. Pestilence was making its way through Europe. Humans were dropping like flies by the hundreds every hour. Nico hadn’t seen a plague this bad even in his existence. Not even a place so holy like Rome was safe from it. Nico and all his other fellow death angels were working over time, reaping souls left and right trying to get them to the afterlife whether it be in heaven, hell or purgatory.  Nico had to wonder what God was up to and why he was cursing humans now. From what he has seen, God was their only hope. Many suffered enough as serfs working away six days a week from sunrise to sunset. They prayed and sung and recited the stories of the Bible every day. When he would come to collect their souls, they seemed almost, happy to die. Most would often ask if they were going to heaven. Nico wouldn’t be able to say until he passed them on to other angels who were in charge of guiding them fully to the afterlife.

He was in Venice. The outbreak of whatever plague this was had just started. It has always been one of Nico’s favorite spots. All the canals that connected the islands together to form a city were unique. But it was a shame that Nico was only there to collect the souls of those on their deathbeds. He had grown indifferent towards the reaping of souls. Some would be happy to see him come and saw him as mercy; others would be screaming and crying trying to evade him longer even if he did eventually catch up to them somehow.

Nico appeared in a little room inside a building on the the banks of the canals. The light was dim with candles and the windows and doors were tightly closed so the person inside was completely isolated. He floated over towards the bed where he saw a young girl in the bed. The younger the soul, the harder it was to reap.

The wool blanket was tucked tightly against her lean figure. Her dark brown hair was pulled back and out of her face. The little fine baby hairs stuck to her forehead as she suffered from cold sweats. Around her nose and mouth the skin had turned black. She had come down with the plague. Nico gently placed his hand down on the girl's head.

With just one touch he could see everything about the girl. Her name was Bianca di Angelo, she was twelve years old and had a whole life ahead of her. She was cold to the touch, and when she felt his presence her black eyes opened up to see him. When she saw him, her eyes widened and she started to cough. Nico sensed her panic and quietly shushed her.

Nico had never seen what he looked like before. He only has a brief idea because of what people have told him when he’s come to them. Only if the lighting was right, he looked like a skeleton, but at the same time many people saw his beauty with his black wings and hair.

Bianca didn’t bother to try and sit up in her bed. She was far too weak. Instead she just stared up at Nico for a few moments trying to accept her fate.

“Are you Death?” she quietly whispered.

Nico didn’t want to speak with her. He knew that if he did, it would take longer to reap her soul and make it that much harder for her to accept that he was here to do his job before moving on to the next human.

But he just stared at the girl in front of him. Her olive skin tone had gone pale from the sickness, her freckles splashed across her nose that much more noticeable. She didn’t seem scared of him, just curious. Nico had encountered few and far in between who acted like that in his presence. He folded his black wings behind his back and kneeled down on the wood floor. He moved his hand to hers and held it loosely. Nico felt a different connection with this girl. A brotherly one that he had not felt ever.

“I think you know the answer,” he whispered.

Bianca slowly nodded her head. She closed her eyes in exhaustion and took a shaky deep breath in. Nico didn’t move and just observed her. When she opened up her eyes again, they were glazed over in a thin sheet of water.

“What is your name?” she asked.

Nico pursed his lips together before answering, “Nico,”.

She adjusted herself on the bed to be more comfortable. But she refused to let go of Nico’s hand. She tilted her head back and looked up at the wall behind her. Her lips were moving in silence, but he could tell she was muttering a prayer. Nico looked up to see a golden cross above her bed.

“Nico,” her hoarse voice called out.

He didn’t say anything but she had his attention. She let a small smile graced her purple lips and she looked him directly in the eyes without fear.

“Do you know where I’m going now?”

She had asked the same question almost all people do before they die. And now he had to respond with the same answer he always told them. It was not his place to tell them.

“It is not my place to tell you God has in store for you in the afterlife Bianca di Angelo,” he muttered.

It was silent for a few moments after that. Bianca turned her head towards the ceiling and was just staring at it. Nico had gently unlatched her fingers from his hand and stood up. The time had come for her. He spread his wings out from behind her.

“Are you ready?” he gently asked.

Bianca closed her eyes and nodded yes. Nico reached down to where her heart is. His hand phased into her body where a white glow came. He smiled as he saw the color of her soul as he reached out and held it in his hands. He released it and in its place stood Bianca looking like she should.

She turned around, confused for a few seconds before she faced Nico. A smile broke out on her face and Nico held his hand out to her. She grabbed it and together they flew out of the house and into Heaven where he gave her off to another angel to fully escort her inside the gates.

As she was walking into the light, she turned around.

“Thank you.”

Nico only nodded with a small smile towards the girl before he flew down to earth to continue his eternal duty.   

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if that was sad! 
> 
> Percy is up next tomorrow!!!


End file.
